Christian words without Christ bring 'madness,' says Pope

Pope Francis holds an audience with students from Jesuit-run schools in Italy and Albania in Paul VI Hall June 7, 2013. Credit: Lauren Cater/CNA.

Vatican City, Dec 5, 2013 / 02:34 pm (CNA/EWTN News).-
In his daily homily on Dec. 5, Pope Francis reflected that the words and actions of a Christian must be centered on Jesus, or they will be empty, leading to division and the “madness of pride.”

“A Christian word without Christ at its center leads to vanity, to pride, power for the sake of power,” said the Pontiff during Mass at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Martha.

“And the Lord knocks these people down. This is a constant in the history of salvation,” he observed, pointing to the words of Mary’s Magnificat.

God will cast down those who are vain and prideful, believing themselves to be made of rock, the Pope explained, according to Vatican Radio. Rather, God wants us to build our lives on Him as a solid foundation.

“Isaiah, in the first reading, says: 'Trust in the Lord always! The Lord is the rock!'” the Holy Father emphasized.

“This figure of the rock refers to the Lord. One word is strong, life-giving, it can go forward, it can tolerate all the attacks, if this word is rooted in Jesus Christ.”

The Pope called on those present to examine their consciences in order to determine whether their Christian words are truly founded on the rock of Christ.

“A Christian word that does not have vital roots, in the life of a person, in Jesus Christ, is a Christian without Christ!” he exclaimed, adding that “Christian words without Christ cheat, they do evil…they begin to travel the path of madness.”

Pope Francis added that “when there is no Jesus Christ this also creates division among us, it makes division in the Church.”

We must put our Christian words into practice or they will be empty, he said, pointing to the Pharisees whom Jesus rebukes for knowing God’s law but failing to live it.

The Pope encouraged the faithful to “ask the Lord to help in this humility, to speak words rooted in Jesus Christ.”